The Heroine Repeatedly Courts Death

Her agent, one foot still outside the studio, caught Xu Chun's earth-shattering declaration and nearly keeled over on the spot.

Was she joking?

But when her gaze landed on the utterly composed Xu Chun, she suddenly wasn't so sure. She almost believed her. Xu Chun's expression was so genuine, so righteous. It looked nothing like an act.

A moment later, the agent came back to her senses and sighed in admiration. As expected of the promising talent she'd picked. This acting was fucking incredible!

Xu Chun had no idea what kind of tidal wave her words had set off online. Almost the instant she finished speaking, Yu Sui'an's fans posted screen recordings and screenshots online, helpfully buying a trending topic: "Xu Chun — The Greatest Scumbag, Unprecedented and Never to Be Surpassed."

Within minutes, the topic had spread across the entire internet, propelled by certain interested parties.

The director eyed the show's enormous buzz, his mouth nearly splitting open to his ears. He stared at Xu Chun with fatherly affection—greatest scumbag of the century? This was his precious darling! He even hoped Xu Chun would be smarter and keep generating heat for the show. If the show got popular and Xu Chun got more attention, landing big productions in the future would be a piece of cake.

After all, infamy was still fame, and besides, Xu Chun's acting was solid and universally acknowledged as good. But precisely because Xu Chun's onscreen image had always been so positive, when Yu Sui'an personally exposed their relationship, many people felt disillusioned; quite a few fans had even turned on her, disgusted they'd ever liked Xu Chun.

But none of that had anything to do with Xu Chun, the heroine of a straight romance novel.

Xu Chun's dead-serious manner made everyone present question their own sanity. Had all the gossip they'd been eating these past few days been fake? But... both parties were right here on set. If Xu Chun really had some grievance, she could have used the livestream to clear her name.

But she didn't.

For a moment, everyone had too many complaints and nowhere to direct them; they could only conclude Xu Chun really was a scumbag. Cheating aside, she wouldn't even leave her ex a shred of dignity; even a dog would shake its head at this.

Yu Sui'an's bright eyes dimmed after Xu Chun finished. The light seemed to drain from her small face, and any second now her eyes looked ready to redden and fill with tears. Well, of course; anyone would feel awful having an ex deny their past relationship in front of millions of livestream viewers.

Especially someone as sensitive as Yu Sui'an.

Her aggrieved yet resilient appearance broke her fans' hearts. They flooded the comment section accusing the company and director of being inhumane, deliberately putting Yu Sui'an on the same stage as her ex to humiliate her. Indignantly, they demanded the company pull Yu Sui'an from the show so she wouldn't keep getting leeched off by Xu Chun.

The studio's atmosphere gradually turned awkward. The director promptly signaled He Qingli to continue, and the moment the girl's lively voice rang out, Xu Chun's love-triangle scene was finally swept past. The director couldn't help wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. Working with Xu Chun really was a mix of profit and risk...

Having either Yu Sui'an or Xu Chun leave the show would be a loss. If possible, the director very much hoped the two of them could be peaceful and polite to each other on the show.

It was just a breakup; they weren't blood enemies. Being this hostile now—if one day they suddenly saw reason and made up, wouldn't it be terribly awkward? And even if they could never reconcile, they were in the same circle; they'd keep running into each other. No need to make things this tense.

Xu Chun had no clue what the director was thinking. She was staring fixedly at Yu Sui'an. Say what you would—the more she looked at this little white lotus, the more pitiful she seemed. Skin so white it was nearly translucent, a delicate pointed chin, a slender neck, a thin waist and back, slender fingers; paired with a fine silk qipao, she truly looked like a fairy stepped out of a painting, with a clear, ethereal aura.

No wonder the original host had lost her mind and pestered her so relentlessly. That shell really did make people want to protect her.

But to Xu Chun, she was like winter melon boiled in clear broth: bland and utterly uninteresting.

She studied Yu Sui'an unhurriedly for ages, ignoring the livestream comments rabidly cursing her. When the guests finished their introductions and the director let everyone choose their groups freely, she raised a slender finger with the swagger of an insufferable rich brat. "I want to be in Yu Sui'an's group."

Hearing her own name, Yu Sui'an's brow furrowed uncontrollably. She'd been stared at for ages and was displeased; if not for the livestream, she nearly wanted to flip out and walk off on the spot. She'd deliberately chosen this show to ruin Xu Chun utterly, and even used small tricks to lure Xu Chun into joining. But how could she have known the one suffering now would be herself?

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and opened them again, restoring her calm. "Okay."

Xu Chun hadn't expected Yu Sui'an to agree so readily, and now it was her turn to stare blankly. Everyone else had already been eager to avoid suspicion; the moment Xu Chun spoke, they'd quickly finished grouping, so switching partners now was impossible.

Her gaze accidentally met Yu Sui'an's. Looking at that outwardly pure, innocent, blameless face that was actually full of dark schemes, Xu Chun fell silent. What if, just what if, the other woman was a hidden boss with a ruthless core beneath it all?

Then wouldn't she end up losing both the wife and the soldiers?

The person in question was regretting it deeply at that very moment—so deeply she could have kicked herself.

So when the director told everyone to choose their dates freely, Xu Chun charged without a second thought toward He Qingli and her date, braced herself, and spoke with feigned shyness, "Can I go on a date with you two?"

"Don't worry, I'm not here to break you up. I'm here to join you."

He Qingli: "?"

Sis, where did that arrogant attitude from a second ago go? Caving that fast?

Yu Sui'an's patience was wearing thin. Xu Chun challenged her temper again and again, and the gentle, kind facade she'd maintained so well slowly vanished. The docile little white lotus now wore no expression at all; her lips were pressed into a tight line of impatience. "Sis, come here."

Her tone was even, almost emotionless. At first listen, it sounded perfectly pleasant, but one look told you the speaker was on the verge of blowing up. So Xu Chun turned around without a second thought and, as if deliberately defying her, said, "I won't."

Yu Sui'an's breath visibly hitched.

He Qingli couldn't help but glance at Xu Chun, secretly guilt-stricken: her understanding of her idol had still been too shallow. Otherwise, how had she never noticed that her pure-as-ice, clean-as-jade idol was actually this... infuriating?

If she were Yu Sui'an, she'd teach her idol a lesson tonight. The little whip, handcuffs, rope—all of it—until the other lowered her head and apologized...

Yu Sui'an was genuinely furious. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this angry. She was so angry her chest rose and fell harder than usual; she didn't even want to keep up the carefully rehearsed gentle, harmless image anymore. She heard her own voice turn cold. "Fine. Very fine."

"If sis won't come over, then I'll go to sis." With that, she started walking toward Xu Chun.

How could Xu Chun not see that the little white lotus was now blazing mad? Without a second thought, she turned and bolted. "Don't come over! I'm telling you, I don't let just any woman touch me."

He Qingli's eyelid twitched; internally she roared: Sis, stop being so stubborn! Just lower your head and soften up, and everything'll be fine! Why keep asking for trouble and courting death at the edge of danger?

One ran in front, one strode in pursuit; director and audience alike fell silent.

The silence lasted until Xu Chun was easily caught by Yu Sui'an. Watching Xu Chun's mouth keep running, everyone had only one thought left: was every part of this woman hard except her mouth?

After catching her, Yu Sui'an regained some reason. Thinking of how she'd just lost her image, her eyes darkened; she subdued Xu Chun one-handed so she couldn't move. Xu Chun, flustered under her stare, looked straight back at Yu Sui'an without blinking. "Miss Yu, you mustn't, you mustn't—this won't do at all. Tugging and pulling in front of so many people is improper!"

"I still want to date in the future. Don't ruin my reputation and stain my good name, leaving me widowed and alone for the rest of my life."

The anger Yu Sui'an had just suppressed came roaring back. If her assistant weren't frantically reminding her from the side that they were still live, Yu Sui'an truly couldn't imagine what beastly thing she might do.

After a tense standoff, Yu Sui'an released Xu Chun without expression, and a sweet, gentle smile suddenly appeared on her face. "Sis, you didn't hurt yourself just now, did you?"

Staring at the other woman's Sichuan-opera face-changing act, Xu Chun retreated almost imperceptibly, wariness written all over her. "No. As long as you stay far from me, I'll be safe and sound, my life secure."

By now no trace of anger showed on Yu Sui'an's face. She only said, "We still have a date, sis. Where do you think you're running off to?"

"If I'm not here, what will you do all by yourself?"

Xu Chun's scalp went cold at being called "sis" over and over. Cowed by the other woman's presence, she settled down considerably. Seeing the two women's war finally subside, He Qingli let out a breath of relief, then couldn't help but worry about whether she would have to fret over her idol's safety at every moment until the show ended.

Maybe... she should just buy Xu Chun one of every insurance policy on the market right now?

Having gotten a feel for Yu Sui'an's temperament, Xu Chun's heart was steady as a rock. She'd deal with water by damming it and soldiers by meeting them head-on; she refused to believe Yu Sui'an could pull any sneaky tricks on a twenty-four-hour livestreamed show. Still, the female lead, Jiang Zhaolie, remained a hidden danger. Jiang Zhaolie's backing was formidable, but it had always been kept deeply hidden; even Xu Chun's parents only had a vague sense of the whole picture.

As for the marriage between Jiang Zhaolie and Xu Chun, it was something Xu Chun's grandfather had schemed and fought to secure for her.

Otherwise, given the Xu family's standing, even as the eldest daughter, Xu Chun would have struggled to secure a match like Jiang Zhaolie.

Come to think of it, in the book Jiang Zhaolie was the most devoted protector; she was practically glued to Yu Sui'an's side. Yet Xu Chun had been filming for most of the day and still hadn't seen hide nor hair of her.

Lost in her thoughts while Yu Sui'an sat beside her in silence, Xu Chun had no interest in making conversation either. She stood to get some air by He Qingli's side. But the hem of her skirt near Yu Sui'an was tugged; she'd used too much force standing and was yanked back by a stronger pull at the same instant, so she unexpectedly landed on a pair of exceedingly slender legs.

A faint, sweet, girlish scent rushed into her nose with every breath—sweet without being cloying, hooking at the heart.

Xu Chun's heart lurched. She craned her neck stiffly and, sure enough, met Yu Sui'an's dark eyes—smiling on the surface, not beneath. The other woman was smiling, faint dimples showing. "How can sis be so careless?"

"If I weren't here, what would you do if you fell in front of so many people?"

For an instant, the livestream comments went blank, then a flood of them all but covered the screen: 【Xu Chun is truly shameless, daring to openly take advantage of our Suisui!】

【Why is Suisui still holding her? Just dump her on the floor!】

【Suisui is just too kind. If it were me, I wouldn't just back away immediately. I'd drag the chair away too and let Xu Chun fall flat on her face, making a complete spectacle of herself.】

At those words, Xu Chun felt as if her backside had been scalded; she was about to spring up on the spot. But just as she turned her head and raised her eyes, a furious face filled her vision. Jiang Zhaolie had never imagined Xu Chun would dare take advantage of Suisui so openly; she herself had been held up by an urgent matter today and arrived a little late!

Now Xu Chun dared to sit on Suisui's lap in front of everyone. Later, when no one was around, would she dare use every trick in the book to seduce Suisui—to use her body to lure her, or even force her?!

Jiang Zhaolie was beside herself with fury. She marched toward Xu Chun, dark-faced and menacing, looking every bit ready to chop Xu Chun into eight pieces.

Xu Chun's rising motion paused. Oh boy.

What do you do when you're caught red-handed by the female lead while tangled up with her official pairing? Play dumb?

Though come to think of it, the female second lead's body really was soft... and fragrant...